Kolkata Airport to manage trolleys and handlers after un-responded tenders

Airport to manage trolleys and  handlers after un-responded tenders –

Kolkata airport released tenders in July last year inviting advertising companies for using airport trolleys for advertisements. The intension behind trolley advertisement was to generate revenue for better management of trolleys and keeping up with salary of the handlers. Unfortunately, even after releasing multiple tenders, it could not lure the private companies to take up the opportunity and therefore, airport has moved back to the contract-based system for managing and maintaining the trolleys and salaries.

The Kolkata airport authorities waited for a year for companies to show interest in running advertisements on trolleys but the response was poor. Now, the airport authorities are back to their old ways where they would hire a contractor, who is assigned the responsibility of managing and maintain the airport trolleys and would pay the trolley handlers. As the entire expenditure, still falling on the shoulders of airport authorities, they have decided to cut down on the manpower.  As a result of this, authorities have already freed 10 handlers from their duty who were beyond the permissible labour law age that is 58.  Currently, they are looking for a contractor, who can maintain and pay salary of 64 handlers. It is also being reported that the number of trolley handlers will be cut-down further.

The airport officials informed that they have taken the decision on cutting down handlers keeping in mind the Government recognised labour law. The salary structure is too in line with the labour law policy. The authorities can still deploy 10 employees on departure and 10 on arrival section. Therefore, the number of employees needed on per day basis is 60 with 11 for rotating roster holidays. Till next six months, five more employees will be beyond 58 and will be asked to go off the duty too.

However, the handlers aren’t happy with such decision and they would discuss this situation with authorities. On the other side, the earlier contractor of Century Ventures, Sashi- Chowdhary  said that managing the incompetent Kolkata staff who demanded high salary was difficult.

Top Advertising Media at Indian Airports –